Dussmann presents EmerGente Collettiva: the competition that talks about the skills and the economic and social value of an essential service for the country
Explain the economic and social value of collective catering in the country system and enhance the people and skills that make it possible. With this objective Dussmann Service presents EmerGente Collettivathe new competition between its chefs in school, healthcare and corporate catering, created in collaboration with Witaly, a publishing house specialized in the food and wine sector which has been organizing professional competitions for over 20 years with a format called EMERGENT. Competence and transparency are the basis of this new project by Dussmann which he calls together, together with a technical jury chaired by Luigi Cremonafounder of Witaly, also a jury of 50 people who will be able to apply here.
Renato Spotti, CEO of Dussmann Service, explains: «We thought of this initiative to give space to a reality that enters the lives of millions of people every day, but about which little is often known. When a child eats lunch at school, a patient receives a meal in the hospital, or a person sits at the table during a work break, he sees the end result: a menu. Behind that menu there is an organization made up of skills, controls and choices. And there are people who take on the pleasure of preparing and serving it well, every day. EmerGente Collettiva brings to the competition the challenges that our professionals face in the kitchens. Preparing a good and balanced menu without waste requires technical ability and creativity. Requires knowledge of food products, organization and collaboration. The competitors will show how they face these challenges and the high quality level of the preparations.”
It is necessary to underline the strong social impact of collective catering, in fact ISTAT finds that 4.9% of young people under 16 in Italy are in a condition of food insecurity. The school canteen helps to guarantee access to at least a balanced menu during the day. Equally important in hospitals and healthcare facilities where nutrition is part of the treatment; last but not least, in all workplaces where it constitutes a moment of socialization and a welfare tool.
According to the recent photograph taken by ANIR Confindustria, collective catering in Italy is worth 4.5 billion euros, has around 1,000 businesses – small and large – and 100,000 employees and guarantees over 800 million meals every year. In this context, the leadership of Dussmann Service is expressed with 55 million meals prepared and served per year by 7,000 employees.
Dussmann is a very solid company that employs a total of over 26,000 people, ranks among the top facility management companies and recorded a turnover of €1.046 billion in 2025 (up 9% vs 2024).
The high volumes of activity in collective catering require reconciling different needs ranging from quality and satisfaction to nutritional balance, always guaranteeing food safety and waste containment. Behind each menu work kitchen brigades, dieticians, nutritionists, food technologists, purchasing, quality and supply chain safety managers, logistics experts and distribution personnel who must respect hygiene and health protocols, ensure traceability, and always guarantee continuity of service.
EmerGente Collettiva brings all these components into a competition, entrusting chefs with the task of finding solutions capable of synthesizing all these aspects. The competition will take place on November 7th at the Eni headquarters in San Donato Milanese and will be presented by Tessa Gelisio.
Twenty-seven Dussmann professionals will compete in this first edition, divided into three teams, each made up of a chef, a sous-chef and a restaurant manager.
The format will reproduce the complexity of a collective catering contract. Competitors will receive rules, a list of ingredients and equipment. On this basis they will design and implement proposals capable of combining economic sustainability, organoleptic and nutritional quality, reduction of environmental impact, innovation and gastronomic attractiveness.
The multi-starred chef Andrea Berton will be part of the technical jury.
EmerGente Collettiva was created thanks to the contribution/collaboration of SDS, Electrolux, Lotus, Comenda, Pastificio Stroppa and San Benedetto as strategic sponsors, as well as Rational, Burlodge, Greenyard, Valcolatte and Buona Carne as technical sponsors.
